Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-07-13
THE YANKTON ASYLUM.
Official Report Of Public Exam
liner misunderstanding
Facts.
The Trustees Guilty Of Gross Incom.
potency OF Frand--The Gov.
ernOr's Findings.
Aberdeen, D. r, June I. 1881.

ABEtDEEN, IL. l., June Y, 1851
Gov. l. X Church, Bismarck, OAK
DEAR SrR:-I have the pleasure of submit.
ling TO you tho following report concerning
the affairs gone over by me in my invosiiga-
ton Of the Dakota Hospital for the Insane Of
Yankton, Dakota;
commenced this investigation May the 9th,
1887, and owing 10 the method OF keeping
books and doing business of the institution
have been delayed until this timo in comp.et-
ing the same. l find no discrepancies in the
records and accounts of the steward, J. A.
Potter, but found his duplicate vouchers and
monthly statements kept in a business like
manner. What has made the trouble and do
lay In this investigation was the manner and
way VI doing business by the trustees during
the past two years They have, during that
time, overlooked their duties as an advisory
board aud have assnmed the duties of super
lntendent of the institution and have dis
persed several of the appropriations. In
some instances they have ke9t no vouchers
and IN no case have they furnished to the
auditor an itcmized statement for the amounts
they have drawn ont OF the several funds,
thereby having no clue during the time they
operated Us to where and how the several
funds have been expended; and when placed
on the stand anu asked to explain, their mem
DRY fails them, and as that was, in most cases,
the only record kept by th.ni, IL leaves moth
ing whatever as u basis from their records to
estimate their doings during the two years A.
L. Colby acted as their secretary and bust
ness manager.
During the last two years the board Of
trustees have taken out of tho stewards
charge the following funds:
Fuel and Light funds. ,5N. 90
improvements of hospital prouud.. $500. 10
Completing hospital buildings,..... $4,000
yc"er"Se. l,oJJ.ol
Team and conveyance. .......... /. 100. %
building new buildings. ........... 4,uOD.W
~, t.1p.V w
and have also duly installed their secretary,
Colby, rs treasurer, superintendent of con
struetion and purchasing agent
The money was drawn from tho several
funds Oh vouchers in favor of Secretary Cob
by and certified to as correct by Secretary
lobby and the president of the board
The money was drawn on estimates by Sec
rotary long In advance OF the time the money
would be needed for the puri Q; es for which
1t was appropriated as follows:
During june. July and August, 1885,, a, per
Colby vouchers:
Coal, Northwestern Fuel Co 600 tom. s., 800. co
Completing and furnishing man
puuuinS..... l,I9.Sj
From the new building fund. ........ s75.sJ
From sewerage fund. .............. LOLA. 81
making q total drawn In the above ninety days
on vouchers in favor OF A. /. Colby of S.
$50. ~.
For the estimates made by Colby he can
give no explanation, simply claim ng that the
amount of money was drawn by him person.
ally as needed and was Iy him juiicious y in
vested Williams, who wis president of the
board at the timo above amounts were drawn,
did not know until after the report of tho
board was made to Coy. Pierce, November 81,
1886, that money had been drawn on estimates
and that 1t had been expended as specified in
that report VanTassel did not know that the
money drawn from the different funds had not
been expended for the purposes for which
they were appropriated. Powers does not
know that money from special fuads WAS used
for outside matters and Colby, on whom
Williams, VanTasscl and Powers relied to
carry out the work ia the sexeral capacities as
secretary, treasurer, superintendent of con-
struction and general financial agent for tie
institution, cal give no definite information as
to how II was invested, except that it was oil
by him judiciously invested.
In the fuel account, cut of which in june
and July, 1881, Colby drew $3.50 for fuel
purchased from the Northwestern Fuel COM
pany, the statement Of the fuel company shows
that Tor one year, beginning June 1, 1856, they
only sold Colby for the institution 81, G52 "
with of coal; but Colby again IN January,
1886, draws for 81, $50 worth of coal bought Of
the Northwestern Fuel company, and again in
March, lSS6, for sixty-two tons bought of the
Northwestern Fuel company, ssh 80 Ia all,
rs per Colby vouchers, for coal flom North
western Fuel company: